What is Cadastral data?
A cadastre is a comprehensive land recording system. It contains data about land parcels and boundaries and all legal land objects within them as defined by law.
Aspects of these legal land objects include:
- spatial definition – size and shape
- identification
- description
- value
- legal rights, restrictions and responsibilities.
The cadastre can provide answers to the questions of where and how much and who and how.
Cadastral surveyors
In Western Australia, cadastral surveyors are governed by the Licensed Surveyors Act 1909 which states that any person carrying out the practice of land surveying must be registered with, and they must hold a current Practising Certificate issued by, the Land Surveyors Licensing Board of Western Australia.
If you require the services of a surveyor, the Land Surveyors Licensing Board maintains a register of current licensed land surveyors in Western Australia:
Landgate’s database
Cadastral data is sourced from Landgate's Spatial Cadastral Database (SCDB) and contains information about land parcel boundaries for all Crown and freehold land parcels within Western Australia.
Cadastral data available from the SCDB includes:
- cadastral boundaries
- lodged cadastral boundaries
- cadastral control marks
- registered easements and other registered interests over land
- administrative boundaries.
The SCDB:
- is a seamless digital cadastral base map that contains land parcel boundaries and tenure information for all Crown and freehold lands in Western Australia (WA).
- is the fundamental spatial dataset supporting the Land Titles Register, ensuring that there is appropriate definition, identification, measurement, and location of land ownership in WA.
- is the crucial underlying dataset supporting the Shared Location Information Platform (SLIP).
- serves a range of roles that support land taxation and valuation; land use planning and development; local government, utilities and emergency management.
Cadastral data extracted from the SCDB is to be used for information purposes only and is not guaranteed. The information should not be relied upon without further verification from the original documents. Where the information is being used for legal purposes then the original documents must be searched for all legal requirements.
Frequently asked questions
The International Federation of Surveyors defines a surveyor as a professional person with the academic qualifications and technical expertise to conduct one or more of the following activities:
- to determine, measure and represent land, three-dimensional objects, point-fields and trajectories
- to assemble and interpret land and geographically related information
- to use that information for the planning and efficient administration of the land, the sea and any structures thereon
- to conduct research into the above practices and to develop them.
A land surveyor is a person carrying out professional surveying work with the following qualifications:
- an approved degree in surveying (such as the four year Bachelor of Surveying from Curtin University)
- a licence or registration as a land surveyor in an Australian State or Territory or in New Zealand.
Land surveying is the definition of land boundaries by the application of survey procedures and exercise of judgement in accordance with precedent and statute law. It includes surveys for the subdivision, alienation, resumption, amendment of title and other dealings in land and interests in land. It also includes the collection of material facts and the giving of evidence for courts of law in cases of damage, title boundary disputes, the rectification of titles, etc, the preparation and giving of professional opinions, and interpretation of descriptions and other documents pertaining to land and interests therein. Land surveying is governed by the laws (Acts and Regulations) of the various States and Territories of Australia and of New Zealand.
A cadastral survey is a land boundary survey and is therefore a survey made for the purpose of forming or maintaining the cadastre. See also What is land surveying?
Landgate’s Inspecting Surveyors work to maintain and raise the standard of cadastral surveys and plans in WA by:
- inspecting field records lodged by practising licensed surveyors
- conducting field inspections of surveys lodged by practising licensed surveyors
- auditing plans referred to them by the Landgate plan examiners
- conducting investigations as requested by the Registrar of Titles and the Land Surveyors Licensing Board (LSLB)
- assessing the boundary definition elements of applications for bringing land under the operation of the Transfer of Land Act 1893
- assessing the boundary definition elements of applications for claiming land by adverse possession.